Saturday, December 31, 2005

the 16 year-old who hied off to Iraq without anyone knowing about it- right?

As a parent AND someone with a bit of common sense, I'm wondering exactly how he got away with it?

First question (not the first that popped into my mind-but): it costs $3,416 for a round trip ticked from Fla. to Kuwait. Where did he get the money? It's obvious that his parents are loaded, but still a $3,000+ credit card limit -for a 16year-old???

Second: Why didn't anyone tell the parents?Skipping a week of school, he left the country on Dec. 11, telling only two high school friends of his plans. His travels took him to Kuwait and Lebanon before he arrived in Iraq on Christmas Day. He left without telling his family and sent an e-mail after his departure, Atiya said.

The teen traveled to Kuwait, where a taxi dropped him in the desert at the Iraq border, but he could not cross there because of tightened security ahead of the Iraqi parliamentary elections on Dec. 15. He went to Beirut, Lebanon, to stay with family friends, and flew from there to Baghdad. What, they don't believe in calling home to tell mom and dad that sonny made it here safe?

Julie Schiedegger, who teaches English at Pine Crest, said Friday that she learned Hassan was headed to Iraq about two weeks ago when she overheard some students talking about it.

After his second night in Baghdad, he contacted the AP and said he had come to do research and humanitarian work.The AP called the U.S. Embassy, which sent U.S. soldiers to pick him up.

State Department officials then notified his parents.

So, we have three examples of foreknowledge and no-one dropped a dime to mention it to the parents?

What about his passport? Can minors make their own international flight plans, and board without parental notification (don't ask-don't-tell) ? He's in the United States. Why did he have his Passport with him instead of in safe keeping with the rest of the family's? Oh, am I the only one that doesn't carry their Passport with them at all times- just in case I need to drop by some Mid-eastern sand pit at a moments notice?Does Julie Schiedegger still have a job? Of course she does, she's probably got tenure- besides telling the parents that their son was heading off to some God-forsaken sandy chit-pile would be like "imposing" moral judgment (or some liberal garbage).

Yeah, the secretaryspy undercover agent who worked for the CIA! That's the one! The New Yankme Times and the rest of the Leftwing media was all on the bandwagon to "Find the REAL killers" find the source of the leaked name St. Plame.

Now, lets fastforward to ohhh, say May of this year where "secret CIA flights" originated. Remember the outcry?

Nope, me neither.

How about part of the big brouhaha about extraditionrendition? Remember the demands for the source of the leak? Probably not, because almost the only people who knew about them were getting Top Security briefings about it.

And now we have the latest breach of secrecy -again from the mouths of those in Congress the know about wiretaps on terrorist sympathizer, supporters and operatives. The white House finally decided to get off it's @ss and try to find the most likely sources of those Top Secret leaks.

Well, now that they have- my first prediction of the year will be that the Legacy Media and it's hangers-on will be wailing about the WITCH HUNT about to take place.

My guess is that Rove did it.

(UPDATE DEC 31) DonJr just reminded me of the "secret" cookies dropped onto your browser by the NSA site. Personally I feel less vulnerable from an NAS cookie than I do knowing GOOGLE is getting the ability to track almost every keystroke I make on my computer.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

The difference between men and women(an example)

HER side of the story....

He was in an odd mood Sunday night. We planned to meet at a bar for a drink. I spent the afternoon shopping with the girls and I thought it might have been my fault because I was a bit later than I promised, but he didn't say anything much about it. The conversation was very slow going so I thought we should go off somewhere more intimate so we could talk more privately. We went to this restaurant and he was STILL acting a bit funny. I tried to cheer him up and started to wonder whether it was me or something else. I asked him, and he said no. But I wasn't really sure. So anyway, in the car on the way back home, I said that I loved him deeply and he just put his arm around me. I didn't know what the hell that meant because you know he didn't say it back or anything. We finally got back home and I was wondering if he was going to leave me! So I tried to get him to talk but he just switched on the TV. Reluctantly, I said I was going to go to bed. Then after about 10 minutes, he joined me and to my surprise, we made love. But, he still seemed really distracted, so afterwards I just wanted to confront him but I just cried myself to sleep. I just don't know what to do anymore. I mean, I really think he's seeing someone else.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

to see one of these kids (or "fshionable adults) driving down the road leaning soooo far over that they look down the centerline of the hood? Yeah, I know- it's supposed to be cool.

Unless you're left handed it's also a good way to get into a wreck. If you don't write or do anything else requiring fine movements wiith your left hand, why lie on your dominant hand and control a 4,000 pound vehicle with your left? The ones I've been behind have a hard time keeping it between lane markers.

Besides I was following two gys yesterday, both were leaning into the middle- it looked like they were the stars of "Brokeback Mountain".

Monday, December 26, 2005

Well, it's kinda late

but the Chex mix is in the oven. I finally had time to look up a recipe I liked, and mix it.

The computer is working alot better since I uninstalled the newest Adobe upgrade- and the photoshop trial that came with it. I was suspicious when the clan Singh took over my computer to install the newest Adobe. I also uninstalled Quicktime, which got installed about the same time the computer went south.

The Presario is getting fixed, and I'm stealing the 14-yr-olds *new*(e-bay) computer until I get mine back. He's going to charge $45 to solder a lead to the motherboard and leave a flex connection out of where the old pre-engineered breaking point power socket used to be in the case.

Sunday, December 25, 2005

I always knew I was- in a way

Which political sterotype are you?

Republican - You believe that the free market will take care of most things, but that the government should be there with moderate taxation to provide for national defense and enforcing morality. Your historical role model is Ronald Reagan.Take this quiz!

It's not a Hanukkah hedgeIt's not a Kwanza bushIt's not a "Holiday" treeIt's not an EadEedEid whatever(moslem)Alder

It is a CHRISTMAS tree.

From the Christian religion.

I know HE is the representation of tolerance, but I'm getting daym tired of having all this P/C garbage shoved down my throat.HE said I'm supposed to turn the other cheek and forgive 70 times 7. I think that number has been passed a while ago. I don't think I'd be so affronted by others religious holidays and observances IF the Liberals wouldn't be condemning my religious beliefs every time I turn around. I'm not all that religious, but I have my beliefs and I'm getting sick and tired of the MSM and their fellow travelers telling me I should embrace a sect that calls for killing me and everyone who doesn't belong to that so-called "religion" of death.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Right, but sooo wrong, too.

Farm or RanchYou scored 13 out of 40 on urban-rural and 16 out of 40 land intensity.

People know you as: The Milkmaid

Quote: "You get to not mind the cow smell."

Your score indicates that you prefer a rural atmosphere to an urban one and low land intensity. You’re no hermit though; you like other people and, once you start talking to them, other people like you. As far as you’re concerned there is no difference between living in a city and living in a suburb, not that you would want to do either because you’re probably a bit scared of cities in the first place.

Well, I wasn't going to bring up the "domestic spying" thing for Christmas

But I just heard another spying allegation from the left.

I am really getting pissed about all this Top Secret spying cr@p. All we hear about is what the Bush administration is doing listening to "alleged" terrorists- and how it's all out of bounds. The MSM is all over the surveillance thing, so is Iowa Hawk- he's all over this spying thing like white on rice, AND the labor walkout right before Christmas, too.

When ARE we going to have hearings on this spying stuff?When are (or are we) going to find out who leaked TOP SECRET actions to their fellow socialists in the MSM?

At least the Hawk isn't giving the MSM top secret briefing topics to help sell a frigging BOOK.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Did you read about the House only extending the Homeland security bill by ONE f*cking month?I thought the Republicans were the majority party- supposedly in charge of both the house and Senate.

Why are they letting the Democrats run all over them? I know, they wanted to go home and *koff* take their voters concern to heart *snortle*. Will someone give me a reason to vote for any party anymore? I mean the Republicans are just as feckless and spendthrift as Democrats have been seen historically. The Democrats are now so far to the left, that one slip will send them solidly into the Communist camp- instead of flirting with Socialists.

The Democrats are setting the agenda, and deciding everything that matters to the future of America. Anybody remember this last summer? Hurricanes out the @ss, broken pipelines and refineries- and WHO decided to keep everything the way it was after they pissed all over Bush?

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Not to mention the Fla. Congressional delegation for putting the kibosh on unsightly drilling rigs so far off the coast that you can hardly see them.

I wanted to bring you the official tally on who voted for or against the bill- but as usual, nothing in Congress is straight forward. Here are the votes, and you can figure out what it means.If some blogger could sort it out for us, the great unwashed, I think it would be appreciated. All I know is the Dems ran over the RINOs again, and showed who's really running things.

Like I said, $3/gal- you know who to thank. AND all the oil companies should be thanking the same people for their record profits this year.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Miscellaneous B.S.

I missed the test this morning, got a late start due to the Mazdas' newly discovered thirst for motor oil ( the rear main seal- it looks like). After I found a quart of 40wt. I hit every read light between here and San Antonio. By the time I got to the N.E. side of S.A. it was already 8AM, it would have taken another 60-90 min to get where I had to be. So, instead of a wasted 100= mi. round trip, I didn't even call to cancell (the confirmation mail didn't have a phone number for the test center). Well, I can't take the ATS screener test for another 185 days.

I'm still waiting on the title for the Mazda- he keeps telling me the "title's in the mail"- I'm wondering if I saw the right title when I have him the check. Guess I'll wander down to the P.D. to see who actually owns it.

Vonage is working again, it had a fit this weekend, may have been the computer- That stopped connecting this morning about 6:30AM, and may have a virus that is VERY well hidden. The Wildblue rep was out just now, my power is on the low side. He did some resets and I can access AlGores Internet, now- again.He thinks I might have a hidden virus, too, but he didn't want to start deleting things- I understand but it's working alot better now. It's working alot better than that last sentence, anyway.

The laptop finally lost it's charging ability Sun. It seems the pin going into the charging dohikey breaks off alot. Wifes boss's son-in-law will fix mine better than new for $45.

I just got done installing wifes Christmas present, a new ceiling fan/light with remote. I would have gone with the regular wired one, but the remote controlls the fan speed AND light settings with the 2 wire existing wireing.

So everyone is having kittens about Bush OKing the SPYING on PRIVATE PHONECALLS of suspected trerrorists, huh? I guess it doesn't matter that he went to the Senate and House intelligence committies and BOTH of them signed off on it (them?) including the DEMOCRATS who are strangly silent on defending the way Bush went through channels.- - - And speaking of spying on americans, has anyone ever found out who hired Craig Livingstone?

I was listening to a guy on WOAI last night outraged about the illegals situation- he wanted Bush to do something. He said that if it were proved that the next attack (by moslem terrorists) came via Mexico- THEN the border would be shut. -Sorry guy, Bush has too much invested politically, and business wize to stop the illegals.

So where do I go around the Castroville/Hondo area to agitate help get Kinky on the ballot? I guess a link here would help.

We were supposed to take down some light "poles" and haul them to the salvage yard.It turns out that these light poles were 150' light towers for a High School football field. There's now ay our 45' boom truck would even think about doing anything but causing trouble- so we waited for a crane.

When they finally got there -the replacement rigger was either mentally damaged, or fried from too much crank- and pretty well clueless. Well, he's getting paid to do the high work, we're here to, ummm, cut anchor bolts- ummm - and watch.It took about 2 hours to get the first one down and about an hour for the rest- except the 2nd to the last. It was in a pretty well inaccessible location, and tight up against the stadium wall.When we finally got it on the ground- it tried to collapse.

The last one was a piece of cake, cut 12 -1" bolts and swing it down- which was good because it was frikin' dark were we were then.Got back to the yard at 8:30PM and home about 9:40PM.

13 1/2 hours, which helps because I'm off today taking a Civil Service test for an airline security screener. Hey- it's cool in the summer, warm in the winter and- - - DRY!

Sunday, December 18, 2005

It crashed yesterday. It's a VoIP via Bluewave satellite broadband.I guess it wouldn't have been so bad, but I live in a dead cell area for T-mobile.(It wouldn't be dead if T-mobile had any phones with an antenna- or used a SIM card)I have to drive 1/4 mile to get Cell reception, so naturally I can't troubleshoot with the Indian Tech.

I rebooted.I restored.I unplugged.I plugged back in.I stuck a paperclip in the reset hole.I got it to stop sounding like I dialed a wrong number when I picked up the handset,now it only sounds like a fast busy signal.

OK, Wife is going to check with her geek co-workers tomorrow, AND see about fixing the pin that goes into the battery charger of the Pressario laptop. It finally broke today.

Gawd, I love it when I get hit by an avalanche of chit.It's going to cost about $35 to cancel Vonage, plus the shipping of the Phone modem I didn't hook-up. (yes- I DID try it with the phone, didn't get anything).In order to get a phone here, we'll need Verizon, or Cingular.I'm not going near ANYONE who aligns themselves with SBC ATT, because I personally know how badly they suck.

Every time I turn around, cr@p is costing me money.With nothing to show for it.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Here's a question for you high dollar self employed professionals

And not so high dollar self employed professionals, too.

Wife and I were talking about starting a business I heard about on some radio program, easy start-up. Low overhead, etc.I went to the SBA site and while nosing around, found this page about self-employment taxes.The question is- is it REALLY "available" or mandatory, like SSI. I mean can we put the money the gov't would squanderwaste protect like it was their own into our own retirement- so we'd actually HAVE something to retire on?

If you're talking about the defetist, anti-American (Bush) stance, it's a little flawed.

I just had time to look at this article in the American Thinker, and saw the same flaw I'd heard from Rush and others.Q. “Since there are always root causes for bellicosity, what’s the root cause of Japan’s attack?”

A. Americans have never bothered to learn Japanese language, culture, and history. So we don’t understand Japan’s complaints against us. There would never have been a Pearl Harbor attack if we had been nicer to Japanese immigrants.

A. Jews have disproportionate influence in the current American administration. That’s why President Franklin Delano Roosevelt supports Zionism and the idea of a Jewish state in the Middle East. That’s also why Roosevelt is such a lackey of the British, who persist in standing in the way of Germany’s legitimate need for lebensraum in Poland and in other parts of Eastern Europe.

Not only that. We should be sending a team to Switzerland to talk to Hitler’s emissaries and find a way to stop this totally unnecessary war right now.

Q. “But if we continue to fight, how can do so if we don’t know how much the war is is going to cost us?”

A. We’re only now beginning to emerge from the Depression. In fact, our 1941 deficit equals 4.3 percent of our GDP. So how can Congress give Roosevelt a blank check? The government’s first responsibility is to respond not to unimportant foreign threats, but to urgent domestic needs like health care.

Q. “How can we fight without a plan telling us exactly when and how the war will end?”

A. It’s not acceptable for Roosevelt to prattle that the war will be long and hard, and will end only when we’re victorious. That kind of rhetoric may be suitable for an aging imperialist like Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who keeps telling the British people that their aim must be “victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.” But there’s no room for such talk in liberal America.

Q. “We’re taking very heavy losses. An average of 215 American soldiers and sailors are dying every day in a war we shouldn’t have let ourselves get into. Isn’t it obvious that the Axis powers are going to win this war, and that we’re going to lose it?”

A. Japan and Germany are sinking Allied vessels at a faster rate than they can be replaced. The Philippines, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, Poland, France, Belgium, the Soviet Union, Norway, Denmark, and the Balkans have all been overrun. And North Africa and the Middle East are next. So the right thing to do — the only thing to do — is for the United States to sue for peace and bring our brave boys home right away.

As an example.

The big difference is- between then and now:The modern day Libs would have NO problem with what we did in WWII because FDR was a DEMOCRAT!

that the House of Representatives has passed some kind of border security legislation.Not that it's going to go anywhere, it's got the U.S. senate to F-it up and Bush will probably break his (almost) six year streak of not vetoing ONE bill on his desk.

Mexico has condemned a migration bill being debated by the US Congress, saying it is too focused on securing its 3,220-km (2,000-mile) border. Yeh, it's about time, don't ya think?

A spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox said security alone could not solve immigration problems. True, YOU could actually try to make your country something besides a third world chithole.

Ruben Aguilar added that his compatriots in the US made "an enormous contribution to the US economy". That's true- our prison system is expanding doing quite well, thanks to you and your international criminals. Our TAXPAYER funded education and healthcare system is over worked, underfunded and lowering standards regularly. Health insurance is going through the roof- partly to subsidize your non-paying illegals citizens.

forces employers to verify the status of workers and raises fines against those who knowingly hire illegal aliens

orders the construction of a hi-tech fence along parts of the US border with Mexico and asks for a study on using barriers along the Canadian border

makes it a felony to live in the US illegally instead of a civil offence and toughens penalties for document fraud

enlists military and local law enforcement to help stop illegal entrants.

They pretty much ignored the question of anchor babies, which pretty much leaves Rep.Tancredo (R. Co.) and his statment with out legs:

"You will find people will go home and they will go home by the millions," he said."Those who don't go home, you deport." Because who, but a rabid, evil, RETHUGLICAN would even think of separating a family because they actively broke the law.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Ohhh, OK-I see the scam here. . .

See I saw and sent my resume for a $17/hr warehouse/assembler/shipping job.Mostly out of curiousity, and because I'm getting short hours at work.Almost immediatly I got a return mail saying that I was under serious consideration for the job!Wow, that was fast!

Here's the link, click on your favorite document format and see if you see a moneymaking idea (for them).

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Fom the desk of the Rev, Frederick Jones

Fellow believer,

Perhaps you have heard of me and my nationwide campaign in the cause of temperance. Each year for the last 14, I have made the tour of the mid-west and southern states and have delivered a series of lectures on the evils of drinking. On this tour, I have been accompanied by my young friend and assistant, Clyde Liedstone. Clyde, a young man of good family and exellent background, is a pathetic example of life ruined by exessive indulgence in whiskey and women.

Clyde would appear with me at lectures and sit on the platform, wheezing and staring at the audience through bleary and bloodshot eyes, sweating profusely, picking his nose, passing gas, and making obscene gestures while I would point him out as an example of what over-indulgence can do to a person using the devils brew.

Last fall, unfortunatly, Clyde died. A fellow blogger has given me your name and I was wondering if you would be available to take Clyde's place on my 2006-07 Spring Tours.

First the good news. Anyone with a cell phone could be due part of a $9 Billion tax refund.

BUT-Naturally:But the federal government continues to collect the tax and requires so much paperwork for refunds that only big corporations are likely to benefit.

On Friday, a court in Washington, D.C., became the third federal appeals court since May to void the tax. Two other federal appeals courts, covering seven states, have ruled the tax unlawful, and cases are pending elsewhere in the nation's 13 appeals courts. In all, nine federal courts have ruled that a 3% federal tax doesn't apply to phone calls that are priced only by how long a person talks — not by how far the call travels.Still it could be a help on cellphone bills.

And in the dissapointing news dept:

We won't be able to watch Pamela Anderson do what her talent is designed for.

The actress moved suggestively around a dance pole in the number, which was included in preview copies sent out to critics.

After an assessment by its standards and practices department the network decided the material didn't mesh with the time slot.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The 17 yr-old and I were trying to find that "Conservative Teeshirt" ad on some of the blogs I read daily.

It turns out that we now can't find them. All we see is PJM. and they aint where anythings at.I got the idea thru to her that I wanted one of those split US/UK flag tees (iron-ons)- exept that the convergance would be diagonal.

The only blog I didn't check was Steve. After looking at his site, I guess it was just time for everyone to change ads.

I'd show you what we came up with, but wife does look here once in a while, so if you're interested you need to come back around Christmas.

Lets off Tookie Williams for Christmas.A needle in the arm.It's been a long, long time.All of the L.A. gangs, rioting once again.

Let's off Tookie Williams for Christmas.The Bloods and Crips agree,In the streets we'll loot and burn.For the clemancy Arnold spurned.

A robbery on a store and a pistol that did shoot.A victim on the ground.Giving the Crip a hoot with the gurgling in his throat.With Jesse Jackson standing mute.

It's time that Tookie took the walk down the hallway to the Doc.So that the Justice will be served.A score of years delayed, because of people who do not pray.Hookers and drugs abound from the gang that Tookie found.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table,like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread all tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

I'm in a little bit of hot water here

See, I'm kinda anal when it comes to doing things- I want then finished.Everyone else here has the opinion that "it was started- that's good enuff".I get on the 17 yr-old about not finishing jack-chit, or doing something with the least amount of effort absolutely necessary to do a barely acceptable job. Mom comes back with the idea that "she started, that's what counts" (they ARE products of England).

We were discussing the discrepancy in presents cost between the two girls. I told her to write a check for the difference, just don't finish the second half- make everyone happy.

1- She got a big check.

2- You "started" writing the check- THAT'S the important thing! It doesn't matter if it got finished.

3- It won't be coming out of my bank.

That didn't go over too well- we're going to have a 'discussion' about it later.

I got the new(est) truck ready to be on the road, all I need now is the insurance and the title.

The 14 yr-old had a friend over Fri-Sat and slept over at her house last night- she's crabby right now. She always is when she gets back from sleepovers, I don't know why we let her go *shrug*, I guess it's growing up girlie.

I finished putting up the electric doggie fence. Once Meg realized what I was doing she took about 5 steps backwards from me, now she won't get near the fence. I was thinking of doing it last week, but got lazy.

Anyway, Meg seems to enjoy not getting drug around by the neck- we'll be looking for a pet for Meg this week. Meg will have the final say, since she's got seniority.

.

.

.

Ohhh, I got tagged by Rhianna!Sorry girl, you won't be entertained by my answers.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Looks like we're down a dog

We fenced them in, and blocked up the last place they got out.The 17 yr-old got home Fri after school and we only had the black one.We couldn't find the white one anywhere. We figure they both got in with the cows on the other side of the tracks and either got shot of kicked to death. The black one was shivering all last night, and we still haven't heard anything about the white one.

It might seem kinda hard, but we tried keeping them in and they got out. They were doing something they shouldn't have -chasing cats (they have a death threat about that) or messing with a ranchers livelihood and one paid for it with his life.

The timid black one is now stepping up and protecting Casa Trainwreck from sounds.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Has anyone seen that Donnie in the Windows ?

I keep getting an acces denied and 404 code on Donnies site, and I want to send him a mail, if he hasn't got that big money job-yet.

Otherwize not much to post about right now. I'm REALLY getting tired of those two hour long drives every day, plus I'm loosing hours foe lack of work. I'm also just tired, working all day outside with an 18 degree wind chill factor does that to me.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Seems as though we just can't get enough excuses to take our money.Usually when the Postal Service raises rates, it's because they're bleeding money.

This postal increase is different. See, now the USPS is in the black, but they need our extra money for an escrow account. $3 BILLION as a matter of fact.

So, They got by without any problems when they were billions in dept, and Congress didn't give a chit. Now that they have money, they have to raise rates to buy into an escrow account? The article didn't say what it was for, though. But what polititian wants you to have your own money when they can put it in their own slush fund.

Strasser said the agency's plan for 2006 was for a $1.3 billion surplus, but a requirement that it place $3 billion in escrow is forcing it to raise postal rates on Jan. 8 to cover the added expense. The price of a first-class stamp will go from 37 cents to 39 cents and other rates will rise accordingly.

And since January's increase is needed solely to cover the escrow requirement the agency is expected to announce another increase next year to take effect in 2007, to cover rising costs.

Don't ya just love politics?

(Update Dec 08 -6:09PM)Something was kinda bugging me about this additional raise in 2007.If the USPS has to rais the price two cents to make $1.7 Billion, for this years escrow, won't they have an EXTRA $1.7 BILLION in 2007 to pay for the "rising costs"?I'm kinda stupid that way. I expect a continuing raise to keep paying the increase- even AFTER the original cost was covered.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

I just got done giftwrapping X-mas stuff, and decided to take a quick look at what everyone was saying about your public "servants" new $3100 payraise.

I didn't get a deep look, but oit kinda looks like it happened like they wanted it to.

NOBODY noticed.

Yep, they talked alot about fiscal responsibilityand how they'd refuse the money (I heard). but when it came down to it, someone "forgot" to send a bill up to NOT get an automatic COLA.I was trying to scan a letter of "fiscal responsibility", but it's late and I couldn't remember how to change the file to .jpeg.

I think I've got a handle on this broadband thing and the browsers, and stuff.

I e-mailed Wildblue about my Outlook problem, I got a reply- within a day!

Here's what they said:Kurt

This error code (0x800ccc0e) started about 3 years ago.It's usually, tho not always, a conflict between your anti-virus and Outlook. The fix is to turn off the incoming and out going e'mail scan (make sure that AUTO PROTECT IS STILL ON) and that usually does the trick. if you make sure to leave auto, you're still protected. For some reason it seems to through Outlook into a redunant loop until it errors out.

If this does not solve the problem, call us and we'll get it figured out asap.

The problem is, is that I CAN'T find the right tabs or spaces to click to change the "locked-in' gray to 'changable black', so we'll see what Wildblue has to asy about that.

So far, Wildblue seems to like Explorer better than Firefox- if you look at the uncompleted site requests. Even after I changed the connection settings.

It's supposed to be cold tommorrow, so I'll be taking the new(er) truck. It has a working heater.It also has an inspection thats 3 months out of date, a registration that's about 2 and no horn or insurance card -it's in the mail.

Some Christmas come-ons: * Have you finished doing all of your Christmas shopping yet? (A charming and concerned ice-breaker)

* So where are you spending Christmas this year? (In other words, are you going to be around so I can ravish you?)

* Any idea what the history behind mistletoe is? (An innocent flirtation that is only slightly provocative.)

* Have you ever cooked a Christmas dinner? I'm thinking of having Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s at my house this year, and I'm a little nervous about it. (Especially charming when it comes from a sensitive male.)

* Do you remember when you figured out there was no Santa Claus?

* What's your favourite Christmas memory?

* I'm having a little cocktail party at my house this year; what would be easy to serve? (Hint: after you've engaged him or her in a conversation, invite him or her to your cocktail party and then start planning one!)

* So, what was your day like? (Always a kind, sincere approach, and perhaps a good segue into some Christmas shopping nightmare stories.)

* Do you believe in New Year’s resolutions? Do you have any this year?

* You lot seem like you're having a really good time. Are you all friends? (Always a good one when you see a group of friends having a good time — especially when you want to get to know one or two of them in particular.)

The list could go on and on if you're determined and creative enough. Just remember to include references to Christmas and New Year's, be sincere and polite and embody that festive spirit. It could be the beginning of a great new year.

I regretfully report that the Pirate ZiPpo has been U.A. from his blog for over a month, leaving those who travel to see him unfulfilled. The fact that he hasn't yet missed movement is a favorable factor.

In this case I award the A.N.M. (Above Named Man)to be held in the "special links" section of my blog untill be begins his assigned posting again.

This Trainwreck Mast is ajourned.M.A.A. you will read this sentence at morning quarters.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

, , , And in the spirit of ruining someones fun, wife is going to check on the 17 yr-old at a sleepover. The girl she's with is just having a (?)th b-day. For the last 45 min. I've been hearing that intrusive thumping carried by 24"speakers on wheels heading toward her friends house.

(Update Dec 4 4:16PM) We just got back from Spicewood with a $1800 Mazda B300.The party wasn't at the friends hous, it was at the "twins" house. The Sherieffs showed up, too.Mom went to see if the girls were where they were supposed to be- since we got an answering machine when we called. The girls were home all night. The 17 yr-old told me that they both knew they wouldn't be allowed to go, so didn't ask.

You generally think of younger people when you think of bad manners and and , , , less than civilized behavior. Ok, I admit I've got a problem with my language, but I TRY to keep my tone down around women and children anyway.

Catheren Seipp is talking about it alot better than I can.I don't know exactly WHY we're all becoming pretty jaded about dealing with others, but I have my ideas.

Lets start with TV; since about the mid-70's there's been the obligitory "spunky" kid.You remember, the one that knew more than the adults in their life. The moronic (white) dad that was always being saved from himself by super-mouth.

Which went along with schools deciding that it wasn't cool to be "forcing" these paragons of civility to learn right from wrong. They weren't taught at home either, so grew up ignorant of the concept of 'consideration of others' that most of civilization accepts as a norm. Now you have parents being unable to even think of teaching their kids right from wrong -OR- accepting responsibility for their own actions. Schools went from reinforcing civilized behavior to ignoring right and wrong by "moral relevance" and back PAST civilized actions to the draconian Zero Tolerance cr@p. -You know- "We won't TELL the kids it's bad to stab each other, so lets crackdown on ALL sharp things" and catch Ladybugs as well as Wasps on that flypaper.

Then we have the public figures who ARE role models (whether they want to admit it or not) for kids and some adults, too. Willie Mays? Bart Starr? Roger Staubach? JFK (Kennedy, not Kerry)? Bill Clinton? Pete Rose? The Hollywood bed swapping, etc.. .

The music. I was going to concerts for the Sex(well, hoping- anyway), drugs (more of a contact high) and I did like the rock and roll. Now the kids had/have what the material girl, dysfunctional a-rythmic crap glorifying misogynie, drug dealing, and physical violence to solve the most trivial of affronts.

Let me tell you parents out there, you're NOT being cool aping your clueless yard-apes. You DON'T look cool with your gimmie cap on backwards or sideways- you look like a 40-something dork. Start trying to act like a grown-up. Say NO once and a awhile , , ,and mean it! it could start actually bronging some civility back into our lives.

Sorry.*taking a breath*OK, I'm off my rant. Sorry I got off subject a little, but *I* feel better anyway.